Spaces of Mobility

Aglaée Degros

As the number of empty stores increases and the return of commerce to these vacant spaces seems highly unlikely, could we not imagine converting these spaces into ground floor housing?

Living on the ground floor is an idea that is not widely accepted in Austria, where building regulations stipulate that garages, bicycle storage, garbage bins, etc. must be located on the ground floor, which is detrimental to the quality of urban space, as the street becomes solely a space dedicated to logistics rather than a space for socializing.
And yet there are many examples, such as in the Netherlands, of housing located on the ground floor, where children play on the sidewalk, parents have a coffee at a table in front of their door, and pensioners chat on their bench in front of their window...

What principles can we learn from them? Not only in terms of housing organization, but also in terms of community functions and, of course, the street it self.
During this seminar, students will receive input from experts on the relationship between buildings and streets. They will also analyze examples (Amsterdam, Tokyo, Vienna, etc.) to distill principles that could enhance ground-floor housing with a focus on the space of mobility/housing relationship.

End of course: 28.4.26

Foto: Daniel Heussen